Japanese Development Team Lauds Varsity Growth

Mr. Mizuochi (left) and Prof. Imbuga (right) hold discussions during the visit by Japan Members of House of Councillors to JKUAT

The Japanese members of the House of Councillors have commended the growth and progress of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology since inception.

Three members of the Japanese Parliament made this observation during their visit to JKUAT as part of the audit of the utilization of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Japanese foreign missions worldwide. JKUAT was jointly founded in 1984 through a bilateral cooperation between the government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government of Kenya.

Speaking at the institution Wednesday, September 11, 2013, mission team leader, Mr. Toshiei Mizuochi lauded the strategic leadership and management of JKUAT that had seen the university emerge as a training, research and innovation powerhouse in the region.

“We are very impressed by the prudent utilization of the resources and management of JKUAT, the institution is a remarkable example,” noted Mr. Mizuochi.

He added that Tokyo would be keen to ensure continued support to JKUAT to foster the institution’s critical role in provision of higher education, generation of new knowledge and dissemination of research findings through technology transfer to the people of Kenya and beyond.

Welcoming the committee to JKUAT, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mabel Imbuga thanked the government of Japan for the invaluable support that has enabled the university to immensely contribute to Kenya’s socio-economic progress.

Mr. Mizuochi (centre) and Prof. Imbuga get a taste of the noodles manufactured by JKUAT-Nissin Foods company

Starting out with a paltry number of students in 1984, Prof. Imbuga noted, JKUAT had grown in leaps and bounds with over 30, 000 students currently enrolled in the core areas of agriculture, engineering, architecture and other sciences.

Prof. Imbuga also informed the team the university had also partnered with Nissin Food Holdings, a Japanese company, to manufacture noodles using locally generated raw materials. This initiative among others, the Vice Chancellor opined, was in line with the institution’s initiative to foster food security in the country.

“We have also partnered with various universities from Japan in renewable energy and agricultural research,” averred Prof. Imbuga.

The team is taken through JKUAT renewable energy research project design at the site

The Vice Chancellor also indicated JKUAT is a beneficiary of the human capacity development in myriad of areas through faculty exchange programmes with Japanese counterparts.

JICA Kenya Chief, Mr. Hideo Eguchi who accompanied the mission to JKUAT said his country and mission was very proud of the institution, taking into account all the transformations it has undergone and the successes it has registered.
The committee visited the JKUAT- Nissin Foods Company and the varsity’s Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology.